Articles
Sin Never Helps
Human beings are virtually alone in the world when it comes to living things being able to solve complex problems. Octopi, crows, and some primates also have this rare ability to think through a quandary, and exact a solution. When it comes to moral problems, however, humans have no peer. We are alone in creation in dealing with ethical decisions.
Humans are also singular in their ability to justify sin as a solution to a perceived problem, disregarding everything that we know to be right, as well as a lifetime of evidence to the contrary. There is no situation, dilemma, predicament, or puzzle that ignoring God’s will can improve. Sin can, however, make any situation we face infinitely worse.
Satan presented a situation to Eve as a problem, and failure to abide by God’s will was the suggested solution. The serpent characterized God as an unfair Creator who was jealous of His creation, and kept them ignorant because He “knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5) Did sin fix the situation? Before the first humans failed God’s will, they knew only goodness, innocence, prosperity, pleasure, satisfaction, and life. When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, they added the experiences of pain, shame, blame, fear, failure, and death. (Genesis 3:6-24) Their eyes were certainly open, but they were no better off, and they were not any closer to being like God.
A series of tragedies and unfair circumstances had led Joseph to work in the household of Potiphar. (Genesis 37) The young son of Jacob had not earned his slavery with his actions, other than being honest. Therefore when Potiphar’s wife offered him the opportunity to take advantage of his master’s absence, (Genesis 39:1-8) the Hebrew slave could have given in. However, Joseph responded, “Behold, with me [here], my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9) Joseph knew that the unfair situation of his slavery would not be improved by sin.
Daniel, along with the other Hebrew exiles, had to endure many great injustices and trials upon arrival to Babylon. His country had been conquered and destroyed. His name had been forcibly changed. He was instructed in the language and ways of the very people who had taken him prisoner. It would be easy to take advantage of the pleasures this ignoble situation offered. However, “Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank.” (Daniel 1:1-8) Not even the fine delicacies of the most powerful man on earth would fix Daniel’s situation if it meant he would sin.
We all face different situations, but the bible is clear in showing us that sin is never the answer, and will always make things worse.
